I decided to challenge myself and create a content area plan focused around the 4th grade math curriculum at my school. I was lucky that we were just beginning a new unit around the time that I considered my options. Geometry can be a fun concept to teach, and I tried to incorporate this into each of my lessons. I have designed 3 lessons that go along with Unit 4 of the Math Expressions textbook for 4th grade. Follow the links below:
We begin a unit on angles and polygons with angles, and this seemed like a good scenario that appealed to the video game fanatics and the puzzle lovers. A word of caution: You can create your own semaphore messages easily by cropping the letters of the alphabet. However, creating messages that require students to measure angles is very time consuming, and not something to save for the last minute.
Daily Lesson GAME Plan
Lesson Title: Angle, Angle, Do You Understand?
Related Lessons: Rotate, Soldier!, Name That Triangle!
Grade Level: 4th Grade
Unit: Angles and Polygons (Ch. 4 Math Expressions)
GOALS
Content Standards:
M.O.4.3.3 identify, draw, label, compare and contrast, and classify angles (acute, right, obtuse, and straight) 21C.O.3-4.2.LS3 Student engages in a problem solving process that promotes questioning, planning investigations and finding answers and solutions. 21C.O.3-4.3.LS4 Student appreciates, accepts and works cooperatively with others, in both academic and social contexts, shares responsibility for continued improvement of the academic performance and climate of the school, and exhibits ethical behavior while working alone or communicating with others. 21C.O.3-4.3.TT6 Student selects appropriate technology tools and resources needed to communicate information to others, to achieve personal goals, and to support independent learning. 21C.O.3-4.2.TT3 Student uses technology tools (e.g.,presentation software, word processing software, publishing software, group web page design, digital cameras, scanners) forindividual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create informative products for audiencesinside and outside the classroom.
ISTE NETS-S p
2. Communication and Collaboration
4. Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making
6. Technology operations and concepts p
Instructional Objectives: p
Students will be able to identify angles as obtuse, acute, right, or straight with 80% accuracy.
Students will be able to demonstrate the use of a protractor
Students will be able to use protractor to measure flag/arm angles on a semaphore flagger with 80% accuracy
Students will be able to work collaboratively with a partner to complete tasks
Students will be able to demonstrate critical thinking and problem solving skills through the use of open-ended tasks.
Students will be able to create a pencast that demonstrates knowledge of angles and the ability to explain one's thinking
ACTION
Before-Class Preparation: Teacher will need to procure enough protractors for the class, and make all necessary copies of the semaphore alphabet, flagger outline, and the name worksheet. Teacher will need to print the special dot paper for the pencasts. Students should be paired together before class if possible.
During Class
Time
Instructional Activities
Materials and Resources
5 minutes p p p p p p p
20 minutes p p p p p p
25 minutes p p p p p p p p p
20 minutes p p p p p p
5 minutes p p
Introduction: Students are part of a mathematical military unit. They’ve banded together to bring mathematical skills to the land of Fingercounters. A lone scout has gone ahead, taking semaphore flags with him. The students spy him at the top of a distant ridge, flags raised. A message is communicated and… no one knows what it says. Not even the commander (teacher) knows! (Message is pasted on the SMART board). The commander rallies the troops, reminding them that their knowledge of angles will help, but they’ll also need to quickly discover how to measure those angles and decode the message, before it’s too late. If they can't decode and send back a message, all will be lost! p
Part 1 Identifying the Angles:
Each pair is given their “field pack”. Each field pack contains a semaphore flagger, a semaphore alphabet sheet, the message from the SMART board, and the angle guide reference. Students will also find their tasks list from their commander. Their tasks include identifying the angles on each side of the flagger's arms, and decoding the message from the scout. Once completed, they return to their commander to report their findings. p
Part 2 Measure the Angles: Confident that they understand the scout’s message, and with the commander’s approval, the students are ready to send back a message of their own. They want to say a message in return saying that they’ll be there soon. But wait… how do they do it? Someone wrote the flag signals for the new message down, but didn’t label the message. The commander won’t let the message be sent unless she knows what it says! The commander gives students some new items for their field pack- the message, a protractor, and protractor field guide. Students look at a drawing of the message that needs flagged. Students must use their protractor field guide to measure the angle of each flagger in the message they want to send back. Once the angle is measured, they decode of the message to be sent back. p
Part 3 Communicate: Students are ready to flag back a message to their scout. Someone gets ready to flag the message, but the wind blows away their flag paper. Oh no! Students must create a new message and fast. Groups write their own message by drawing flaggers. They will need to use their semaphore alphabet guide. Students then create a pencast using a LiveScribe pen that demonstrates the message to be flagged back to the scout. In their pencast they explain the message to send, draw the flaggers, and identify the angles for each flagger, using the dot paper. Assess with Pencast Checklist. p
Wrap-up: The students send the message, which the scout receives. They hurry off to the land of Fingercounters, and complete the mission. To make sure the flag mix-up doesn’t occur again, the commander hands each student a message. They must decode the message, identify the arm angles, and measure each angle. Note: All handouts hyperlink to Google Docs. If any Google Doc preview looks funny, download the original and it will look fine. To get dot paper for the LiveScribe pen, you must use your version of LiveScribe desktop to print out custom pages, or use any LiveScribe paper product.
Note student groupings, environmental modifications needed, etc: Students begin the activity as a whole group. As soon as the introduction is complete, students are broken into pairs. Pairs are created based on prior mathematic ability.
MONITOR
Ongoing Assessment(s): Students will check in with the commander after each part. First assessment is the successful identifying of angles, second is the measuring of angles, and third is the pencast. First two assessments are graded by percentage correct out of the total. Pencast is assessed with the Pencast Checklist.
Accommodations and Extensions: 3 students have IEPs that require tasks read aloud. They will be paired with strong readers. One student is on alternative assessment. His skill focus will be on identifying angles foremost, and completing some angle measurement, modified so that he does not have as much to measure. He will be provided a whiteboard and marker for writing, as well as for teacher demonstration.
Back-Up Plan: If LiveScribe pen fails to work, students can use a Flip Video camera or other recording device to capture their work.
EVALUATE AND EXTEND
Be specific and include the evaluation that you will use for this lesson: The evaluation for this lesson is a final message from the commander. Students work individually to decode the message, identify the angles, and measure the angles.
LESSON REFLECTIONS AND NOTES
Online Collaboration & Rotations p
After angles, we move on to rotations and rotational symmetry. Because students must learn how to find rotations and rotational symmetry, there is a lesson that needs to be taught before applying the concept on Twitter. For that particular lesson, students, still following in the mathematical military unit idea, go outside and demonstrate clockwise and counterclockwise movement and rotations through marching and other movement exercises. The next day, they are ready to complete the lesson below.
Daily Lesson GAME Plan
Lesson Title: Rotate, Soldier!
Related Lessons: Angle, Angle, Do You Understand?, Name That Triangle!
Grade Level: 4th grade
Unit: Unit 4 Angles and Polygons
GOALS
Content Standards:
.
M.O.4.3.7 select, analyze and justify appropriate use of transformations (translations, rotations, flips) to solve geometric problems including congruency and tiling (tessellations).
21C.O.3-4.2.TT2 Student collaborates with peers, experts and others using telecommunications and online resources (e.g., e-mail, online discussions) to participate in collaborative problem-solving activities for the purpose of developing solutions or products for audiences inside and outside the classroom.
ISTE NETS-S p
2. Communication and collaboration
5. Digital Citizenship p
Instructional Objectives: p
Students will be able to demonstrate clockwise and counter-clockwise turns with 80% accuracy
Students will be able to identify the degree of rotation with 80% accuracy
Students will collaboratively design a scavenger hunt to demonstrate rotations
ACTION
Before-Class Preparation: Teacher will need to set up 2 Twitter accounts for the class and test them.
During Class
Time
Instructional Activities
Materials and Resources
10 minutes p p
30 minutes p p p p p p
30 minutes p p p p p
10 minutes p p
10 minutes
Begin by asking students if they’ve ever gone on a scavenger hunt. Connect prior experiences to the activity they will complete today. Explain directions. p
Students break into groups of 10 and 9. One group goes with teacher and the other with Title I teacher. Each group will design a scavenger hunt to find an object in the school. Each hunt should include at least 1 demonstration of 90°, 180°, 270°, and 360° turns, ie “Leave the classroom and turn 90° clockwise. Go to the faculty mailboxes.” Scavenger hunts should include at least 4 stops where students will gather new clues and move to the next step. Cut plan page into strips and hide directions in the school. p
Students will implement their scavenger hunts, using Twitter and 2 class accounts. One group goes on the hunt with a teacher while the other group stays in the room to check progress and respond to tweets. Each group follows first direction, but must tweet once they reach their location to receive the clue that will help them find the next direction. Once one group has completed the hunt, the other group completes theirs. p
Students will return to class and discuss the results of their scavenger hunt as a class. How did Twitter aide them? What could be changed next time? p
Students will complete the assessment in their Homework and Remembering book on pg 189. It will be completed as homework.
Ongoing Assessment(s): Teacher will observe groups. Data will be gathered in order to complete this part of the checklist. Students will also be assessed with the checklist.
Accommodations and Extensions: 4 students have IEPs that require directions read to them. Another is an alternative assessment IEP, but he will be in a small group setting. Teacher will make sure that he gives input and suggestions, as well as have him demonstrate the turns he wants.
Back-Up Plan: If Twitter doesn’t work/internet is down each group will have a “messenger” who will return to the room after each direction is found to get the next clue.
EVALUATE AND EXTEND
Be specific and include the evaluation that you will use for this lesson: Teacher will evaluate by percentage correct on the HR page, as well as a checklist to evaluate each group’s scavenger hunt plan.
LESSON REFLECTIONS AND NOTES:
Digital Storytelling & Name That Triangle! p
Finally, I completed a lesson on digital storytelling. A big goal for the upcoming lesson is being able to identify triangles by their angles and sides. I figured this lesson was best suited for a digital storytelling project.
Daily Lesson GAME Plan
Lesson Title: Name That Triangle!
Related Lessons: Angle, Angle, Do You Understand?, Rotate Soldier
Grade Level: 4th grade
Unit: Unit 4 Angles and Polygons
GOALS
Content Standards:
.
M.O.4.3.7 select, analyze and justify appropriate use of transformations (translations, rotations, flips) to solve geometric problems including congruency and tiling (tessellations).
21C.O.3-4.2.TT2 Student collaborates with peers, experts and others using telecommunications and online resources (e.g., e-mail, online discussions) to participate in collaborative problem-solving activities for the purpose of developing solutions or products for audiences inside and outside the classroom.
ISTE NETS-S
2. Communication and collaboration
5. Digital Citizenship
Instructional Objectives:
Students will be able to identify the name of a triangle by the angles (right, obtuse, acute)
Students will be able to identify the name of a triangle by the sides (scalene, isosceles, equilateral)
Students will collaboratively design a digital story children’s book that incorporates audio/images in Photo Story 3
Students will demonstrate knowledge of triangle names.
ACTION
Before-Class Preparation: Teacher will need to reserve the computer lab.
During Class
Time
Instructional Activities
Materials and Resources
10 minutes p p p
30 minutes p p p p p
45 minutes p p p p p p
30 minutes p p
30 minutes p p
15 minutes
Begin by asking students if they remember reading board books when they were little about shapes and colors, or books that had them identify something. Read a board book to demonstrate. p
Students break into groups of 4. Students will spend time searching for images to use in their digital story. Their triangles should demonstrate the three types of names for sides (isosceles, scalene, and equilateral) and the three types of names for angles (obtuse, right, and acute). Teacher will have linked to sites on PortaPortal (scroll to bottom) that students may find helpful. Save all work to student folders on USB drives. p
Students will use PhotoStory 3 and create a digital story that simulates a children’s board book. Format is up to the students, but their book should name the various triangle types, explain what each triangle type has (ie, isosceles has two equal sides), and use pictures to illustrate). Begin recording audio. p
(Next day) p
Finish recording audio for students. While students are recording audio, the rest of the class is finishing their digital story. p
Students present digital stories to the rest of the class. Class wraps up by discussing the similar ways in which stories were told, as well as the ways each story was different. p
Students complete page 131 in their Homework and Remembering book for assessment. This requires them to name the triangles given by sides and angles.
Board book on identifying shapes, colors, or numbers p p PortaPortal links
USB drives p p p p
PhotoStory 3
Computer lab p p p p p p p p Rubric p p
HR pg 131
Note student groupings, environmental modifications needed, etc: Groups of 4. Students will be grouped by technological ability, ie, 2 high level with 2 lower level.
MONITOR
Ongoing Assessment(s): Name that Triangle Rubric, HR 131, teacher observations
Accommodations and Extensions: 4 students have IEPs that require directions read to them. Another is an alternative assessment IEP. IEP students will be evenly distributed. Alternative IEP will focus his goal on finding images and naming them by sides and angles.
Back-Up Plan: If Internet fails to work, students will lay out their ideas on paper and complete the next day by finding the pieces of information they need.
EVALUATE AND EXTEND
Be specific and include the evaluation that you will use for this lesson: Teacher will evaluate by percentage correct on the HR page, as well as a rubric for the digital stories.
LESSON REFLECTIONS AND NOTES:
Content Area Unit Plan
I decided to challenge myself and create a content area plan focused around the 4th grade math curriculum at my school. I was lucky that we were just beginning a new unit around the time that I considered my options. Geometry can be a fun concept to teach, and I tried to incorporate this into each of my lessons. I have designed 3 lessons that go along with Unit 4 of the Math Expressions textbook for 4th grade. Follow the links below:Problem-Based Learning & Angles
Online Collaboration & Rotation
Digital Storytelling & Name That Triangle!
Problem-Based Learning & Angles
We begin a unit on angles and polygons with angles, and this seemed like a good scenario that appealed to the video game fanatics and the puzzle lovers. A word of caution: You can create your own semaphore messages easily by cropping the letters of the alphabet. However, creating messages that require students to measure angles is very time consuming, and not something to save for the last minute.
GOALS
M.O.4.3.3 identify, draw, label, compare and contrast, and classify angles (acute, right, obtuse, and straight)
21C.O.3-4.2.LS3 Student engages in a problem solving process that promotes questioning, planning investigations and finding answers and solutions.
21C.O.3-4.3.LS4 Student appreciates, accepts and works cooperatively with others, in both academic and social contexts, shares responsibility for continued improvement of the academic performance and climate of the school, and exhibits ethical behavior while working alone or communicating with others.
21C.O.3-4.3.TT6 Student selects appropriate technology tools and resources needed to communicate information to others, to achieve personal goals, and to support independent learning.
21C.O.3-4.2.TT3 Student uses technology tools (e.g.,presentation software, word processing software, publishing software, group web page design, digital cameras, scanners) forindividual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create informative products for audiencesinside and outside the classroom.
p
2. Communication and Collaboration
4. Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making
6. Technology operations and concepts
p
Instructional Objectives:
p
Students will be able to identify angles as obtuse, acute, right, or straight with 80% accuracy.
Students will be able to demonstrate the use of a protractor
Students will be able to use protractor to measure flag/arm angles on a semaphore flagger with 80% accuracy
Students will be able to work collaboratively with a partner to complete tasks
Students will be able to demonstrate critical thinking and problem solving skills through the use of open-ended tasks.
Students will be able to create a pencast that demonstrates knowledge of angles and the ability to explain one's thinking
ACTION
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
20 minutes
p
p
p
p
p
p
25 minutes
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
20 minutes
p
p
p
p
p
p
5 minutes
p
p
p
Part 1 Identifying the Angles:
Each pair is given their “field pack”. Each field pack contains a semaphore flagger, a semaphore alphabet sheet, the message from the SMART board, and the angle guide reference. Students will also find their tasks list from their commander. Their tasks include identifying the angles on each side of the flagger's arms, and decoding the message from the scout. Once completed, they return to their commander to report their findings.
p
Part 2 Measure the Angles: Confident that they understand the scout’s message, and with the commander’s approval, the students are ready to send back a message of their own. They want to say a message in return saying that they’ll be there soon. But wait… how do they do it? Someone wrote the flag signals for the new message down, but didn’t label the message. The commander won’t let the message be sent unless she knows what it says! The commander gives students some new items for their field pack- the message, a protractor, and protractor field guide. Students look at a drawing of the message that needs flagged. Students must use their protractor field guide to measure the angle of each flagger in the message they want to send back. Once the angle is measured, they decode of the message to be sent back.
p
Part 3 Communicate: Students are ready to flag back a message to their scout. Someone gets ready to flag the message, but the wind blows away their flag paper. Oh no! Students must create a new message and fast. Groups write their own message by drawing flaggers. They will need to use their semaphore alphabet guide. Students then create a pencast using a LiveScribe pen that demonstrates the message to be flagged back to the scout. In their pencast they explain the message to send, draw the flaggers, and identify the angles for each flagger, using the dot paper. Assess with Pencast Checklist.
p
Wrap-up: The students send the message, which the scout receives. They hurry off to the land of Fingercounters, and complete the mission. To make sure the flag mix-up doesn’t occur again, the commander hands each student a message. They must decode the message, identify the arm angles, and measure each angle.
Note: All handouts hyperlink to Google Docs. If any Google Doc preview looks funny, download the original and it will look fine. To get dot paper for the LiveScribe pen, you must use your version of LiveScribe desktop to print out custom pages, or use any LiveScribe paper product.
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
- Angle Guide
- Semaphore alphabet
- flagger / flags
- message
- task list
p
p
- Unlabeled message
- protractor
- Protractor Field Guide
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
- plain paper
- semaphore alphabet
- LiveScribe pen
- dot paper
- Pencast Checklist
p
p
- Commander's message
p
p
p
MONITOR
Accommodations and Extensions: 3 students have IEPs that require tasks read aloud. They will be paired with strong readers. One student is on alternative assessment. His skill focus will be on identifying angles foremost, and completing some angle measurement, modified so that he does not have as much to measure. He will be provided a whiteboard and marker for writing, as well as for teacher demonstration.
Back-Up Plan: If LiveScribe pen fails to work, students can use a Flip Video camera or other recording device to capture their work.
EVALUATE AND EXTEND
LESSON REFLECTIONS AND NOTES
Online Collaboration & Rotations
p
After angles, we move on to rotations and rotational symmetry. Because students must learn how to find rotations and rotational symmetry, there is a lesson that needs to be taught before applying the concept on Twitter. For that particular lesson, students, still following in the mathematical military unit idea, go outside and demonstrate clockwise and counterclockwise movement and rotations through marching and other movement exercises. The next day, they are ready to complete the lesson below.
Daily Lesson GAME Plan
GOALS
.
M.O.4.3.7 select, analyze and justify appropriate use of transformations (translations, rotations, flips) to solve geometric problems including congruency and tiling (tessellations).
21C.O.3-4.2.TT2 Student collaborates with peers, experts and others using telecommunications and online resources (e.g., e-mail, online discussions) to participate in collaborative problem-solving activities for the purpose of developing solutions or products for audiences inside and outside the classroom.
p
2. Communication and collaboration
5. Digital Citizenship
p
Instructional Objectives:
p
Students will be able to demonstrate clockwise and counter-clockwise turns with 80% accuracy
Students will be able to identify the degree of rotation with 80% accuracy
Students will collaboratively design a scavenger hunt to demonstrate rotations
ACTION
p
p
30 minutes
p
p
p
p
p
p
30 minutes
p
p
p
p
p
10 minutes
p
p
10 minutes
p
Students break into groups of 10 and 9. One group goes with teacher and the other with Title I teacher. Each group will design a scavenger hunt to find an object in the school. Each hunt should include at least 1 demonstration of 90°, 180°, 270°, and 360° turns, ie “Leave the classroom and turn 90° clockwise. Go to the faculty mailboxes.” Scavenger hunts should include at least 4 stops where students will gather new clues and move to the next step. Cut plan page into strips and hide directions in the school.
p
Students will implement their scavenger hunts, using Twitter and 2 class accounts. One group goes on the hunt with a teacher while the other group stays in the room to check progress and respond to tweets. Each group follows first direction, but must tweet once they reach their location to receive the clue that will help them find the next direction. Once one group has completed the hunt, the other group completes theirs.
p
Students will return to class and discuss the results of their scavenger hunt as a class. How did Twitter aide them? What could be changed next time?
p
Students will complete the assessment in their Homework and Remembering book on pg 189. It will be completed as homework.
p
p
Scavenger Hunt Plan Page
Scissors
p
p
p
p
p
Twitter
Laptop
netbook
1st direction
Checklist
p
p
p
p
HR pg 189
MONITOR
Accommodations and Extensions: 4 students have IEPs that require directions read to them. Another is an alternative assessment IEP, but he will be in a small group setting. Teacher will make sure that he gives input and suggestions, as well as have him demonstrate the turns he wants.
Back-Up Plan: If Twitter doesn’t work/internet is down each group will have a “messenger” who will return to the room after each direction is found to get the next clue.
EVALUATE AND EXTEND
LESSON REFLECTIONS AND NOTES:
Digital Storytelling & Name That Triangle!
p
Finally, I completed a lesson on digital storytelling. A big goal for the upcoming lesson is being able to identify triangles by their angles and sides. I figured this lesson was best suited for a digital storytelling project.
Daily Lesson GAME Plan
GOALS
.
M.O.4.3.7 select, analyze and justify appropriate use of transformations (translations, rotations, flips) to solve geometric problems including congruency and tiling (tessellations).
21C.O.3-4.2.TT2 Student collaborates with peers, experts and others using telecommunications and online resources (e.g., e-mail, online discussions) to participate in collaborative problem-solving activities for the purpose of developing solutions or products for audiences inside and outside the classroom.
2. Communication and collaboration
5. Digital Citizenship
Instructional Objectives:
Students will be able to identify the name of a triangle by the angles (right, obtuse, acute)
Students will be able to identify the name of a triangle by the sides (scalene, isosceles, equilateral)
Students will collaboratively design a digital story children’s book that incorporates audio/images in Photo Story 3
Students will demonstrate knowledge of triangle names.
ACTION
p
p
p
30 minutes
p
p
p
p
p
45 minutes
p
p
p
p
p
p
30 minutes
p
p
30 minutes
p
p
15 minutes
p
Students break into groups of 4. Students will spend time searching for images to use in their digital story. Their triangles should demonstrate the three types of names for sides (isosceles, scalene, and equilateral) and the three types of names for angles (obtuse, right, and acute). Teacher will have linked to sites on PortaPortal (scroll to bottom) that students may find helpful. Save all work to student folders on USB drives.
p
Students will use PhotoStory 3 and create a digital story that simulates a children’s board book. Format is up to the students, but their book should name the various triangle types, explain what each triangle type has (ie, isosceles has two equal sides), and use pictures to illustrate). Begin recording audio.
p
(Next day)
p
Finish recording audio for students. While students are recording audio, the rest of the class is finishing their digital story.
p
Students present digital stories to the rest of the class. Class wraps up by discussing the similar ways in which stories were told, as well as the ways each story was different.
p
Students complete page 131 in their Homework and Remembering book for assessment. This requires them to name the triangles given by sides and angles.
p
p
PortaPortal links
USB drives
p
p
p
p
PhotoStory 3
Computer lab
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
Rubric
p
p
HR pg 131
MONITOR
Accommodations and Extensions: 4 students have IEPs that require directions read to them. Another is an alternative assessment IEP. IEP students will be evenly distributed. Alternative IEP will focus his goal on finding images and naming them by sides and angles.
Back-Up Plan: If Internet fails to work, students will lay out their ideas on paper and complete the next day by finding the pieces of information they need.
EVALUATE AND EXTEND
LESSON REFLECTIONS AND NOTES: